Farm bill bears fruit for upstate growers

Capital Region farmers hurt by storm flooding are winners under Senate, House versions of measure

By Dan Freedman

Published 11:32 pm, Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Photo: Philip Kamrass

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Asparagus and other fresh produce are for sale on the tables of Samascott Orchards, of Kinderhook, at the farmers' market on the Empire State Plaza on Wednesday June 6, 2012 in Albany, NY. Access to farmer's markets would improve under a bipartisan farm bill that U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are working on .(Philip Kamrass / Times Union ) less

Asparagus and other fresh produce are for sale on the tables of Samascott Orchards, of Kinderhook, at the farmers' market on the Empire State Plaza on Wednesday June 6, 2012 in Albany, NY. Access to farmer's ... more

Photo: Philip Kamrass

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Peas and mushrooms for sale by Bulich Creekside Farm, of Leeds, at the farmers' market on the Empire State Plaza on Wednesday June 6, 2012 in Albany, NY. Access to farmer's markets would improve under a bipartisan farm bill that U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are working on .(Philip Kamrass / Times Union ) less

Peas and mushrooms for sale by Bulich Creekside Farm, of Leeds, at the farmers' market on the Empire State Plaza on Wednesday June 6, 2012 in Albany, NY. Access to farmer's markets would improve under a ... more

Photo: Philip Kamrass

Farm bill bears fruit for upstate growers

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WASHINGTON — A farm bill now before the Senate could significantly boost the fortunes of upstate New York fruit and vegetable growers buffeted by hurricane floods last year, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday.

"The farm bill on the Senate floor represents a real step forward,'' Schumer said in a conference call with reporters. "Grapes, apples, onions and a host of other specialty crops are a huge part of the upstate agricultural economy, and this bill reflects that.''

"The congressman has been working with local farmers to ensure that upstate priorities, including supporting dairy farmers, specialty and organic crops, rural broadband development, and young farmers, are well-represented in the bill," Valle said. "He (Gibson) firmly believes we have the smartest, hardest working farmers in the country — the issue for upstate farmers is profitability. We must ensure the family farms continue to be an integral part of our communities."

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New York produced $676 million in fruits and vegetables in 2007, with 10 counties in the Albany region accounting for $43.6 million of that total. The counties were: Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie and Washington.

Schumer recalled the devastation wreaked on growers last year by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. "I saw (produce) in fields that had literally floated away,'' he said.

If approved, Schumer said, the Senate bill would:

_ Preserve and expand grant programs for research in areas such as pest controls, plant breeding and protecting buds from spring frosts.

_ Provide help in overseas marketing of agricultural products such as New York wines. "China wants New York wines,'' Schumer said. "When Chinese folks taste our upstate and Long Island wines, they love 'em.''

_ Change crop insurance formulas to help fruit and vegetable farmers recover a greater percentage of losses due to devastating hurricanes and other natural disasters. The bill would also reduce the upfront costs of fruit and vegetable farmer groups designing insurance policies that meet their special needs.

Separately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared a federal agriculture disaster for New York counties where crops were affected by the unusual March warmth and the subsequent days of freezing temperatures.

A week of record-breaking high temperatures caused much vegetation to emerge, which was damaged by the cold the next week. More than 3 million acres of farmland had damage greater than 30 percent.

In the Capital Region, the disaster declaration applies to the following counties: Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie and Washington.

Benefits also are available for the counties of Herkimer, Schenectady and Warren.

The farm bill, the foundation of U.S. government support for agriculture, is up for renewal at a time when Congress is embroiled in debate over how to cut spending to pare down the deficit.

The Senate bill is bipartisan but was largely crafted by Democrats who control the chamber. It would cost $500 billion over 10 years, but save approximately $23 billion by ending direct payments to farmers in favor of crop insurance that would compensate for actual losses.

The GOP-controlled House has yet to put forward a comparable farm bill. Republicans want deeper cuts than Democrats, but much of the conflict is regional.